Can Withstand Eternity
by SilentSoundX
Summary: Four years have passed and now 15-year old Rin is just about to complete her priestess training. Now she's been invited to attend a banquet with a series of young monks and priestesses. Sesshomaru knows nothing of her powers or what she needs to do. A lot will get in the way of the demon lord and the young girl, especially when other humans and demons get involved.
1. Four Years Later

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everyone, just to let you know, YES this is my first fanfic ever and it is going to be a continuation of Inuyasha and I'll basically just be explaining what happens with everyone (especially a certain human girl and a demon lord X3 ). I hope you like it!**

* * *

"Rin!" Kagome called, wandering through the fields just outside of the village. "Rin! Um excuse me, but have any of you seen Rin?" Kagome asked some nearby villagers who were out farming.

"Nope, haven't seen her, Lady Kagome," one of them replied.

Kagome sighed and went on to continue her search. It was a bright sunny day and the sky was clear and everything was peaceful. Rin, being as impulsive as she was, couldn't just stay inside with Kaede and miss out on it.

Four years had passed since we've last seen our heroes. Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango have all remained the same, but Rin who has been in their care has changed a lot.

For one thing, Rin is now fifteen. Her hair has grown longer and she's grown taller. Her features have changed a bit but not so much that you wouldn't recognize her. As for her personality, she's just as childish and as reckless as Kagome had been at that age.

"Rin!" Kagome called again but when she saw that Rin was no where nearby, she knew that Rin could only have gone to one place.

"She must be in the forest somewhere," Kagome called down to Sango, who was also helping her search.

"Well, it figures," Sango sighed, sitting down on a nearby rock. "Rin is always spending ample time there."

"I know that," Kagome said, looking towards the forest. "And I know she can take care of herself, but I can't help but worry that she'll be attacked by bandits, or worse, a demon!"

Sango laughed merrily. "Come on Kagome, you know there are no demons around these parts anymore. All demons know that this territory is always being protected by me, you, Miroku and especially Inuyasha. Even the stronger demons don't really come here."

"I know," Kagome sighed, sitting down next to Sango. "But I still worry. Rin's only a priestess-in-training and although she's getting better, I'm still not sure..."

"Don't worry, she'll be back before sundown," Sango chimed. "Until then, we may as well gather herbs for when the guys come back."

Kagome nodded. "You're right. And I bet that they're going to have a _big_ appetite when they return."

The women laughed and chatted more as they made their way over to where Kagome knew the herbs grew.

* * *

Rin at that moment _was_ in fact in the forest and if Inuyasha was around, he would have definitely smelled her scent nearby for it was everywhere! Rin was happily gathering berries and edible forest roots to bring back to the village for dinner. Her intention wasn't really to come to the forest for this reason, but she used it as an excuse.

The _real_ reason Rin came into the forest often was because it felt more like home to her. The village was her home of course, only she always loved wandering the forest because it reminded her of the days when she had been travelling with Sesshomaru. As the years passed, his visits had become more and more rare because he was busy building his empire. The last time Rin had seen him (which was around two months ago), he had told her that it was nearing completion and that he had little territory left to seize since not a lot of demons were stronger than him.

Rin thought about Sesshomaru often when she traveled through the forest alone. Sesshomaru was actually the only one who knew nothing about her wanting to be a priestess and Rin didn't really want him to know. As the years passed, Sesshomaru still hadn't approved of Inuyasha, and especially not of Kagome, so Rin knew that maybe he didn't like the thought of priestesses. Priestesses existed so that they could purify the souls of demons and even without the sacred jewel, there were still evil demons everywhere. Rin didn't like the thought of purifying demons, especially those with a huge demonic aura, but she had made it her mission to protect humans.

_There are not a lot of good demons in this world_, Rin thought to herself as she lay down on the grass to take a break from berry picking. _Lord Sesshomaru probably knows that too. I won't ever kill a good demon of course, but what about the bad ones that attack humans? Lord Sesshomaru still hasn't compassion for all humans and Inuyasha has always told me how humans have always meant less than nothing to Lord Sesshomaru._

Of course Inuyasha was talking about the way Sesshomaru _used_ to have been, but Rin didn't know that and when he told her these things, no one was around to contradict him on Sesshomaru's behalf.

"Ah, Lady Kikyo, what should I do?" Rin asked. Rin asked this because although she hadn't met Kikyo often in her childhood, the priestess had always had a kind of mystical affect on Rin like she was the revived soul of Midoriko. Rin was nearing completion of her training and was rapidly developing her purification powers, even faster than Kagome herself had developed them! So Rin always felt the need to ask Kikyo for guidance, although of course Kikyo never answered back.

"Once I become a priestess, then perhaps I should go out of the village and help people too," Rin said. She longed to travel again because she was getting rather tired of being only in the village all of the time. Of course she loved it there with all her friends, but she wasn't the kind of person who could just settle down and stay in one place like Kagome and Sango. This was probably because she was younger and at an impulsive age.

Suddenly the wind started to pick up and the sky grew cloudy.

"Huh?" Rin sat up and stared as a small figure sailed down towards her.

"You are the priestess Rin?" A voice asked.

* * *

**That was the first chapter! I know it may be a little short, but I plan to start off small and then go bigger and bigger with the chapters! Please tell me what you think if you're reading! :3**


	2. An Invitation to a Banquet

Rin shielded her eyes as the wind calmed and finally she could see the figure in front of her.

It was a little girl dressed in a silken pink kimono. The girl was quite small and pretty, only her face was all seriousness.

"You are the priestess Rin?" the girl repeated, for she had called out to Rin before.

"Yes?" Rin replied, unsure who the girl was and why she was looking for her.

The girl bowed. "I am Saya, servant to my master Koimiomaru. My master bid me seek out the priestess Rin and give her this."

The little girl held out a small white scroll, tied together with a silken white ribbon. Rin took it from her hands but before she could even read it, Saya had sailed away.

Rin was confused, but all the same she opened the scroll and read its contents:

_A flower in snow  
Is the most beautiful one of all_

_Hello, my name is Koimiomaru and this invitation is to all the young monks and priestesses in the region who are still training.  
Your powers of purification are stronger than you think. So strong that it may be able to suit my purpose.  
My purpose is the same as yours: To exercise all the souls of demons and to make the world pure for humans.  
However not just any monk or priestess may do it. Only one with the most immense spiritual powers may accomplish this feat._

_This is why I invite all of you to come and join me in my castle for a grand banquet, after which we will see which of you is fit to help me.  
If you have no interest in this event, merely tear this invitation in two and it will be assumed that you will not attend.  
If you do have an interest however, keep this invitation until the night when you receive it._

_If you have chosen to accept, at night an escort will come to you by the same means as the invitation.  
Dress in your official costumes and be far from all other eyes. This banquet it for you, and you alone._

_A frozen heart  
Beats the most strongly_

Rin looked it over a few times. She understood the message perfectly, save for the two lines at the beginning and at the end, but she thought that perhaps they weren't important. She thought over the main message, wondering if she should go. It was addressed only to monks and priestesses _in training_ so that meant that neither Kagome, Miroku or Lady Kaede could go with her.

Rin somewhat wanted to go because she thought that it might be good to go out of the village, only she didn't much like the purpose of going. The purpose was to exercise _all_ the souls of demons, and of course this brought on thoughts about Sesshomaru and how _he_ was a demon and a very powerful one at that.

Rin looked down at her own hands, thinking how she might have the spiritual powers that the invitation talked about. She had never thought of herself as being very special, and the idea that she might even be _powerful_ scared her. Was she really meant for the life of a priestess after all?

Ever since she had begun her training, Rin had always looked to Kikyo for advice. She looked to Kikyo when she shot her first arrow and every day since then when she practiced and then she had even thanked Kikyo when she had been able to distinguish the difference from a purifying arrow and an arrow of sealing. Even now she looked to Kikyo for help, only she needed a real answer this time and Kikyo wouldn't be able to give it to her.

Rin picked up her basket of berries and roots and then tucked in her scroll as well. She wouldn't tear it for now, because she had a lot of time before nightfall to think about what she would do.

* * *

Sesshomaru nodded his head as a servant left his throne room, carrying his dinner. Sesshomaru had left it untouched, not in the mood for any food. He ate rarely as it was, but every now and then Jaken, as both his Minister and his caretaker (self-claimed), felt the need to send Sesshomaru some food. Sesshomaru didn't protest against this, because he never knew when an appetite might strike him.

Sesshomaru now banged a nearby gong once and Jaken quickly appeared. From the look on the little imp's face, as well as the beads of sweat sliding down his forehead, it was clear that he wasn't nearby when the gong sounded.

"Jaken, any news?" Sesshomaru asked.

Of course he was referring to the treaty he had asked Jaken to look into, concerning the Northwestern Mountains that the Northern Wolf Tribe occupied. Sesshomaru had very little land left to claim in the demon world, but he had saved those mountains as one of the last things he intended to collect, as the Wolf Tribe was no tribe to be meddled with. Of course he could have simply just started a war to force them out of the mountains, only the Northern Wolf Tribe would fight back and thus, the war would take a while. Sesshomaru wanted things to be passed by peacefully if possible.

"No my lord!" Jaken panted. "T-the Wolf Tribe h-has not agreed t-to sign any treaty yet!"

Sesshomaru sniffed. Those wolves were sure stubborn. The entire 'signing' process of the treaty had been going on for a month and still the wolves refused to budge.

"Offer them more reserves," he commanded, for what seemed like the hundredth time. Already he had offered up plenty of reserves, and even some armory (since he knew that the wolf tribes had none) but they still preferred their homes. Sesshomaru was losing his patience.

"Y-yes milord..." Jaken replied, bowing deeply. "Eh, milord?" the imp dared to ask.

Sesshomaru glanced down at him, not in a kind manner but also not in an angry manner. Just in his usual, expressionless manner. "What is it?"

"Eh...I was just thinking of young Rin..." Jaken confessed. "And if we might be checking up on her soon."

Jaken himself could feel the air in the room get a little more tense. Sesshomaru himself never brought up the subject of Rin and actually he wouldn't have talked about her at all, if Jaken hadn't brought it up. It wasn't that Sesshomaru hated the idea of the girl of course, only he preferred to avoid it. Jaken didn't know why, only his lord wasn't all that responsive when he brought on the subject of Rin.

"When was the last time?"

"About a month ago, milord."

Sesshomaru looked up, deep in thought. "Jaken," he said at last. "Go out and find a suitable kimono. I'll be visiting tomorrow."

Jaken's face lit up with a smile, but he quickly hid it and left before Sesshomaru noticed.

Sesshomaru stood and went over to his window, where he glanced down at all the land that was his.

It suddenly felt very empty.

* * *

**Well I hope you liked it. I also introduced Sesshomaru in this chapter and I hope I kept his character in line. Please tell me what you think! :3**


	3. Rin's Decision

It was getting closer and closer to nighttime and Rin still hadn't ripped up the letter. It was late afternoon and she sat on a grassy hill, as the wind ruffled her hair. Beside her was her bow and quiver of arrows and on her lap she held the letter.

After she had gone back to the village after receiving the letter, she helped Kaede prepare lunch and had gone about her business, giving herbal medicines and remedies that were edible to all of the villagers with someone who was either old or sick in their family. She did this all calmly and barely said a word, but the whole time she felt the weight of that letter in her pocket. She said nothing about the letter to anyone, not even to Kagome. Time and time again she would look up to the skies and think _Lady Kikyo..._ but Kikyo never answered her.

Finally she finished with all her duties and went off to be alone and there she sat now, staring down at the letter as if it was all that she could see.

Part of her didn't want to go, because it was uncertain what would happen. Who was Koimiomaru anyway, and why did he want to vanquish demons from the world? Rin figured that he was perhaps a powerful old monk or something of the sort who truly despised demons like the Monk Ungai who had tried to separate her from Sesshomaru years ago.

But the other part of her, which was the bigger part, longed for adventure again and wanted to go, despite the dangers. She didn't want to go in order to kill demons of course, but the one line in the letter "_Your powers of purification are stronger than you think..."_ caught onto Rin and kept a tight hold on her. Never before had she felt so confident about her powers as she did just then.

The letter didn't give a lot of information about the banquet or what else was happening but since human monks and priestesses were being invited, Rin assumed that she couldn't be hurt anyway.

_Lady Kikyo,_ Rin thought, tucking the letter into her pocket. _I've decided. _

Nightfall finally came and Rin waited where she was. She only left once and quickly wrote down a letter, telling everyone that she could be gone deeper into the forest herb-gathering for a few days, and that they needn't worry about her since she had her bow and arrows with her. It was a lie, but Rin felt that she should tell no one about this. Inuyasha was a demon after all, and how would he feel about her going?

Rin waited a while and then finally the wind picked up again and from above, she noticed a flying carriage flying down towards her. To Rin's surprise, Saya was actually the one holding the reins of the horses which pulled the carriage.

_This must be the escort,_ Rin thought, remembering the letter.

Saya bowed her head, but besides that she did not move.

"You have accepted." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes," Rin replied, not hesitating in the least. She had already made her decision and now she had to go through with it. The others in the village had probably already read her letter. Rin wasn't sure whether or not they would look for her. Inuyasha wasn't at the village just then, so he probably couldn't track her down either.

Saya extended a hand towards Rin, and Rin slowly accepted it. Saya effortlessly pulled Rin up though, and then helped her into the carriage.

Rin felt sleepy as soon as she was inside. It smelled so sweet, like a flower. Little did Rin realize that the smell was making her unconscious. She only figured out what was happening as soon as she collapsed.

* * *

"Milord!" Jaken cried, running into the room with a wrapped bundle supported on both of his skinny arms. "Milord, I have found Rin a suitable kimono!"

"Let me see," Sesshomaru, said. He was sitting on his windowsill, staring up at the night sky. His mind was full of thoughts, which were ever changing. He partly thought about his treaty with the wolves and a smaller part also kept reverting to the subject of Rin. Sesshomaru only realized now that his ward was starting to grow up...

Jaken brought over to bundle to Sesshomaru, who lifted the kimono out of the wrapping. It was a silken white kimono, with shimmering silver swirls that perfectly complimented the moon's light.

"W-well?" Jaken inquired, since he had been the one to pick it out. Although he personally didn't think that something that fancy would suit Rin, he wondered at Sesshomaru's taste.

Sesshomaru seemed to share Jaken's opinion though. He flung it back at the imp, and then looked away. "Pick another," he ordered.

Jaken nodded, surprised that Sesshomaru didn't like it. It was indeed an expensive kimono and Sesshomaru usually spared no cost on whatever he usually bought for Rin. But Rin was a humble girl, and indeed something fancy did not suit her.

Sesshomaru stood up from his sitting position and then leaped out the window. Whether or not he woke Rin, he didn't care. Now was a good a time as any to visit her since he wasn't busy. Like always, she'd feel his presence and come running to him.

This thought pleased him, but you could never tell since Sesshomaru's exterior didn't change in the least.

* * *

Rin woke up on some soft grass that nuzzled her left cheek. She was lying down, her bow and quiver of arrows next to her, and her priestess kimono (which she had put on earlier) wasn't ruffled in the least. Rin could've sworn that she was just on the grassy hill outside her village and that she had only dreamt the flying carriage and Saya and everything. But something just felt...so wrong that she couldn't ignore it.

Sitting up, Rin found that she was _not_ in the village hills at all, but in a beautiful garden. In the distance there seemed to be a palace but just then Rin only lay down near a calm pond, with a bridge leading to the palace. Rin used her bow to help study herself, since she found that she was still quite woozy. She had not been dreaming _at all_ when Saya had taken her up in the carriage. The sweet smell still lingered in the air, only this time Rin didn't go unconscious because of it. She was confused at where she was but then in the distance she saw a few other people walking the same way she was. In fact these were priestesses and monks, balancing themselves either on bows or staffs just like Rin was.

Rin followed them all and soon found herself at the back of a small crowd, all of them facing the doors of the palace.

The two doors were opened and they were invited inside.

* * *

**There we go with the third chapter, and I hope that you enjoy it! I'll try to write more soon. Please tell me what you think! :3**


	4. The Banquet

Rin tried hard not to act surprised at all the splendor she saw before her, but she found it rather hard not to. The palace before her looked quite regal, like it belonged to a king rather than a monk, which is what she assumed Koimiomaru to be. The walls were painted and the floor shone as they walked over it. At the far end of the room there was a long table with seats on either side, and one empty seat at the head of the table. Servants, or rather children, similar to Saya guided all of the guest over to their seats. Rin was seated next to a very serious-looking young monk and an even more serious-looking young priestess. She was not sure how exactly she fit in with everyone. Luckily the wooziness from earlier had worn off of her and the same could be said for everyone else in the room.

"Our master will be with you soon," two children sang, each standing at the foot of the table. "Until then, please enjoy the feast we have prepared for you."

More children came in, each of them bearing a platter of food that looked entirely too heavy for them to carry.

Many of the priestesses and monks began eating, some a bit slowly at first and others taking what food they could get. Rin hesitated, and didn't touch any of her food. Although she was usually very trusting, her keen intellect told her not to try the food. It she had been rendered unconscious in the carriage, who was to say that the food wasn't drugged or poisoned or something.

A long time passed and then finally most of the food was finished. Rin had barely put a thing on her plate, although the food all looked delicious. Then the lights suddenly went off and a single light could be seen at the head of the room, where a man wearing a samurai costume stood.

"Which one of you is ready to help Master Koimiomaru?" the man barked.

A few people flinched at his harsh tone, including Rin.

_So then, he's NOT__ Koimiomaru_? Rin thought gazing up at him. His presence seemed to be magnificent enough, only he definitely wasn't the master of that palace.

"I am!" a bold monk cried, standing up.

"As am I!" called a priestess.

"Me too!"

"Don't forget me!"

"I came here for a reason! To vanquish all demons!"

But just as they'd all gotten up, besides Rin who stayed seated uncertainly, they each fell back on their pillows, each of them seeming unconscious.

"Hello?" Rin called, trying to shake the monk next to her awake. She gasped. He was stone cold as ice. Was he...dead?

"I suppose that means you're the only one left," the samurai called to Rin from the head of the room. "Come. Master Koimiomaru is waiting."

Rin too stood, only she shook her head. She didn't want to go anymore. "No," she said boldly.

The samurai wasn't giving her an option though. Suddenly all the child servants from the palace were around her, each pointing spears at her neck. Rin cringed.

"Master Koimiomaru awaits you," the samurai replied, as if he hadn't heard Rin's refusal.

Rin reached for her quiver of arrows which she had kept over her shoulder, but it was gone. Her bow was gone too.

The samurai beckoned for Rin to come and she had no choice. She walked forward and as she did, the children retreated.

"What do you want with me?!" she demanded as Koimiomaru led her down a narrow corridor. When the dining hall had been so lit up and beautiful, the hallway was in fact cold and dark. Rin could barely see, but she knew well enough to follow the slight glint that came off of the samurai's uniform.

They finally reached a room hidden by wall panels that blended in with the wall, and the samurai opened it. Rin gasped. Inside there was a large spider head, who was rapidly devouring a plant of some kind. What _that_ Koimiomaru?! Rin could barely believe it. So this entire banquet had been just the plot of a demon!?

"W-where's Master Koimiomaru...?!" stammered the samurai, seeming just as confused as Rin was, and even a little scared.

The spider head's red eyes gleamed in the moonlight that came in from a nearby window. "Who?" he asked, it's shrill voice piercing the air.

"W-what have you done with Master Koimiomaru?!" the samurai demanded, reaching for his sword.

"Wait you mean that's _not_ your master?!" Rin cried.

"Of course not!" the samurai exclaimed. "Master Koimiomaru is human!"

Rin thought back to the feast and all those seemingly-dead priestesses and monks. Maybe...the poisoning hadn't been done by Koimiomaru at all! Maybe the spider head had been the cause of everything! But then why hadn't the samurai been surprised back then in the dining hall then? And where _was_ the real Koimiomaru anyway?!

Rin had no time to think about such things now. All she had to do was get out of the palace. She didn't know too much about demons since she wasn't experienced with evil demons like Kagome was, but she knew well enough that spider heads adored the taste of human flesh. Rin didn't know whether or not she would be able to save the others in the dining hall, but maybe they were already dead! She had to get out of there or else she'd die! She wasn't strong enough to take on a spider head by herself!

Rin glanced towards the samurai, unsure of what else to do. "Hold him off until I get my weapons!" she yelled, bounding out of the room and leaving the samurai to deal with the spider head.

Rin still had a kind heart, even if she was afraid. And even if the priestesses and monks were dead from the food, she wouldn't let people with purifying powers be devoured by a demon. That thwarted the very pride of priestesses and monks everywhere! Rin quickly rushed to the dining hall to get her arrows but then gasped as she saw that the dining room itself was already filled with spider heads and they were quickly tangling every human in their web!

* * *

Sesshomaru smoothly through the skies, until he landed in Rin's village. Her scent was everywhere, but something didn't seem right to Sesshomaru. Unlike Inuyasha who was only a half demon, Sesshomaru's senses were far more keen, and that included his nose as well.

_Rin's scent is here,_ he thought. _But it's...worn out. Like she hasn't been here for a time._ He was picking up a trail of where Rin might have last been but just as he was about to follow it, Inuyasha stepped in his way.

"Hey, I heard ya comin," Inuyasha said. He and Miroku had just returned to the village that evening and Kagome and Sango and Kaede had told them of Rin's letter. "I suppose you're looking for Rin."

"Where is she?" Sesshomaru asked, glaring down at Inuyasha. He wasn't particularly mad at that point, but it had become a habit to glare down at Inuyasha.

"She's gone to gather herbs," Inuyasha said, leaning against a hut and crossing his arms. "She said she'll be gone a while though."

Sesshomaru intensified his glare, already losing patience with Inuyasha. "Fool, haven't you sensed it?" he asked. "Rin's scent is not even in the forest. It ends somewhere near those hills."

"Huh?" Inuyasha took a sniff or two of the air. "Hey you're-wah!"

Sesshomaru had already taken off, not bothering to wait for Inuyasha's explanation. Inuyasha quickly followed after him, not sure what Sesshomaru's hurry was. He barely reached the meadow when she saw Sesshomaru bent down next to something.

"What's that?" Inuyasha asked.

Sesshomaru held it up. "A letter, mixed with a strange scent," he said. He unrolled it and read it before dropping it to the ground. It was Rin's invitation. "I see," he said, no emotion on his face. He leaped up into the air and sailed in the direction that Rin's scent was the strongest. Inuyasha also picked up a letter and then read it as well.

He rushed back to the village to inform the others.

* * *

**I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter, especially because it's a bit longer. I'll have to make the chapters longer and longer with supportive fans like you guys though.  
**

**I'll be writing the next chapter again soon and until then, please tell me what you think. :3**


	5. Rin's Courage

Rin didn't have time to hesitate. Too much was at stake for her to waste even a second. She wanted to save every monk and priestess that were getting wrapped up spider head's web, only there were too many spider heads around and none of them was the leader. If she killed the leader, then maybe she could free everyone!

Rin dashed for her arrows, and grabbed them, but only narrowly avoided getting her head chopped off by a spider head. Rin's hand reached for an arrow, but then she ran for the hallway leading back to the room where she'd left the samurai. He was all alone fighting off the largest spider head that was most likely the leader, so she needed to help him.

"Samurai!" Rin yelled into the darkness as she three herself past the wall panels and into the room. But both the samurai and the spider head were no where to be seen.

"This way!" A frantic voice called, but Rin saw nothing except a streak of light down the hall. "Hurry!"

Rin knew it might be a trap, but she had to take her chances. She ran out into the hall and nearly collided with Saya, who was the only one in sight. Actually, the entire palace had gone silent and not even the sound of the spider heads from the dining room could be heard anymore. This made Rin very afraid.

"Where are they?" she cried, referring to the spider heads. She was glad that Saya managed to survive though.

"The killed my brothers," Saya cried, tears streaming down her face, and Rin could only assume that she meant the other child servants.

"Where did they take everyone?!" Rin asked, frantic.

Saya wiped away her tears and faced Rin with a brave face. I hid but I saw them leave the palace grounds, each of them carrying a body wrapped up in their web. But they left clear tracks so I can show you where they are."

Rin followed Saya outside, as both girls ran hoping to save whoever was left. None of what happened made any sense to Rin, but she was too scared to make sense of it. She had never been so scared in her life, not even when Kohaku had tried to kill her on Naraku's command and not even when she'd gone to hell with Sesshomaru and had been captured by demons. Then she HAD been scared in general of course, but she always held onto a small hope that Sesshomaru would come and save her. This time he was no where to be found and Rin couldn't possibly know that he was on his way to her.

_I never should have come,_ she thought, truly wishing she hadn't. _I want to go back home!_

Saya suddenly stopped, and only then did Rin realize that they had run right out of the palace grounds and into a deep forest. Saya had stopped just outside of a large cave.

"In there," Saya said, pointing.

Rin cringed her nose. It was the spider heads alright, and they smelled just foul. Had they already begun devouring humans?

"Stay here," Rin told Saya. She was scared of going in herself, but she hoped that she could handle it with her sacred arrows. It'd be her first time actually killing a demon, but maybe this time she just had to. _I'm sorry..._ she thought, not apologizing to anyone in general.

Saya shook her head. "No, I'm coming with you," the little girl said. "I might be able to help."

Rin didn't try to stop her. There wasn't time for an argument and she was secretly relieved that she had someone to go along with her, although she doubted that Saya could do much.

So slowly, Rin and Saya both entered into the cave.

* * *

"What?!" Kagome, Miroku, Kaede and Sango exclaimed at the same time.

As soon as Sesshomaru had left, Inuyasha had rushed back to the village and he told the others everything.

"It's true!" Inuyasha said. "Read it yourselves!"

Sango, Kagome and Kaede read it over, but Miroku was the fastest.

"I can't believe this!" he exclaimed. "We leave for one day and then this happens!"

"Hey, it's not like you do much while you're here anyway," Sango said, annoyed an on edge at the disturbing news about Rin.

"What did you say?!" Miroku asked, his eyebrow twitching in agitation.

"How could you have left this happen Kagome?!" Inuyasha growled to Kagome, but there wasn't really any bite to his voice. Although he rarely showed it, he had also grown fond of Rin. More than that, he knew that if anything happened to her, there'd be hell to pay at Sesshomaru's hands.

"ME?!" Kagome yelled back just as harshly. "How is this MY fault?! I didn't even see Rin today!"

"That's just the problem! If you'd have kept an eye on her, then she never would have left!"

Kagome growled, irritated that Inuyasha had made a point. "Sit boy!"

A loud thud echoed throughout the hut as Inuyasha's face met with the floorboards. He groaned.

Kaede was the only one who had stayed calm, but now she stood. "We must go after Sesshomaru and help him."

"Help _him_?" Inuyasha was flabbergasted.

"You want to save Rin, don't you?" Kaede shot him a cold glare.

Inuyasha turned away. "Fine, but you're staying here you old hag."

Kaede nodded, ignoring his insult. "Kagome do be careful on your journey. And remember that Rin is a priestess as well. If anything happens, be sure to let her handle it as well."

Kagome nodded. "I will."

And so Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha and Kagome all picked up their weapons and headed out to find Rin, using Sesshomaru's scent to guide them.

* * *

"U-u-ugh..." Rin shivered as she and Saya made their way through the spider heads' cave. The walls were covered in their webs and it smelled horrible, but there were no signs of the spider heads just yet. Rin turned to Saya, hoping to divert her attention to something else, although she knew desperately that she had to be aware of their surroundings Rin had summoned up a bit of her spiritual power and had forced a barrier around them, but she didn't know how effective it might be.

"Um so, what happened to your real master?" she asked.

"Master Koimiomaru?" Saya said, without looking up. She too was being cautious. "I'm not sure. The spider heads might have gotten him earlier, but I'm positive that he's still alive."

"How do you know that?" Rin asked.

"Master Koimiomaru's castle has an enchanted bell placed inside. The bell rings inside an empty chamber, and Master Koimiomaru has used his holy powers to charm it so that every servant of his can hear it, no matter where we are. He told us that if the bell ever stops ringing, it means that he has died and we are no longer his servants."

"And you hear it now?" Rin asked.

Saya nodded. "Quite clearly. So he is still alive."

Rin said the next part rather reluctantly, unsure of herself. "If we get everyone else back from the spider heads, I'd still like to meet him," she said.

Saya nodded, but didn't say anything else.

They walked on a bit until he grew quite warm and then they entered a large chamber where the spider heads were all gathered over an enormous sack made of their webs. Rin gasped to see not only the humans from the banquet, but many many more! It looked almost like...a _thousand_ humans were gathered in the web!

Rin reared back, but grabbed an arrow.

Deep laughter sounded around the cave, causing the earth to shake. Rin turned her head and saw the largest spider head from before emerge with the samurai partly wrapped up in a web. Rin cringed as she watched the spider heads' leader add the samurai to the sack.

"So you've finally come, priestess," he laughed. "I've been expecting you."

Rin pulled back her arrow, focusing her power into the point. "Who are you?!" she demanded, in a loud clear voice which made her seem more fearsome than she really was.

The spider head grinned, it's bright yellow teeth looking deadly even in the low light. "I am Kaisetsu of the spider heads, and you've stumbled onto our little feast. We hold this feast every fifty years, so that we may drain the lives of a thousand humans, giving us power. You priestess are to be our 1000th human, only more so because of your spiritual power."

Rin glared at Kaisetsu in horror. She had never imagined it possible for demons to kill so many all at once just to obtain power. This was nothing like the demons she had encountered so far!

"Despicable!" she yelled, willing her arrow to pierce his heart. She let go of it without another thought. Kaisetsu yelled in horror, but he managed to dodge the arrow at the last minute. Instead it hit the sack right behind him, and a bright pure light shone. Even Rin had to cover her eyes. In the next minute, all of the human bodies started to pour out of the sack, each of them unconscious but still alive.

"You fool!" Kaisetsu hissed. "You've ruined my sack!"

"And you next!" threatened Rin. "Die!" she pulled back her arrow, looking more and more like Kikyo as she did so, and prepared to shoot her arrow right for Kaisetsu's heart, and this time he couldn't dodge. She was just about to let go, when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Rin, stop it," a calm, deep voice commanded her.

Rin dropped her arrow on the spot and turned to see a sight she had always longed to see as a child.

"L-lord Sesshomaru..." she whispered, as her eyes took in his form.

* * *

**I'm very sorry for ending the chapter there, but I figured that it was long enough without my making it longer, and a cliffhanger seemed like just the right thing to do. I will write more very soon.**

**Please tell me what you think. :3**


	6. Missing

Rin could hardly believe that it was her lord. What was he doing there? Had he...had he come to save _her_? How had he found her? Did he know why she was there?

Sesshomaru showed no sign of recognition at having known about the banquet. All that he knew was that she was attacked by spider heads.

"Rin, stand aside," he said.

Rin did as she was told.

Sesshomaru sniffed and air and immediately detested the air.

"Vermin like you are better off dead," he said before summoning his light whip.

"How dare you?!" Kaisetsu shrieked. It caused Rin's ears to hurt just hearing him.

Many spider heads jumped at once at Sesshomaru, but they never stood a chance. All of them that jumped fell at his feet dead.

More and more jumped and Sesshomaru killed them all using only his whip.

"Lord Sesshomaru..." Rin whispered, amazed at seeing how strong her lord was.

Finally Kaisetsu lunged at Sesshomaru, but he too stood no chance. As soon as Kaisetsu was slain, the smell of the cave suddenly cleared and light could be seen through to the exit. Every human woke up and thanked Rin as they left, thinking that she was the one that saved them. Sesshomaru hid in the shadows until only Saya and Rin remained.

"What made you come here?" he asked, strolling towards Rin. When Rin looked away, his patience grew even less. "Rin, answer me," he said more forcefully but still with no bite.

Saya was about to step forward both to thank him and to answer his question, when the Samurai came from the cave as well. Unlike the rest of the people, he was wounded on his left arm.

"Samurai!" Rin called, noticing his bleeding. "What happened?! Here, give me your arm. I've got some ointments here that should stop the bleeding."

The Samurai shook his head, looking thoroughly distressed. "He's not there," he whispered in a hoarse voice.

"Who's not there?" Rin asked, already tending to him arm.

"M-master Koimiomaru...he's wasn't in the cave. So the spider heads didn't get him..." the Samurai answered.

Rin gasped. In the intensity and fear surrounding the spider heads, she had forgotten all about Koimiomaru's banquet or his purpose. As the monks and priestesses headed home, they'd clearly forgotten as well. It seemed sort of minor in comparison to being attacked by spider heads.

Sesshomaru said nothing and only lingered in the background. He had no intention of letting this go though.

"Then where was he?" Rin asked.

"I-I don't know..." the samurai admitted confusedly. "He just...vanished."

"Rin!"

Rin turned to the sound of a familiar voice. It was Kagome! Wait, Sango, Inuyasha and Miroku were also there!

"Everyone!" cried Rin, rushing to them without a thought, once the Samurai's tourniquet was on properly. "W-why are you here?"

"Probably the same reason _he_ is," grumbled Inuyasha, pointing his Tetsusaiga at Sesshomaru. He's already had it drawn and ready, but seeing all the dead spider heads in the cave made it clear that Sesshomaru'd made his appearance.

Rin turned back to Sesshomaru, still amazed at seeing him.

"Er...thank you my lord," she said, just as respectfully as she would have as a child.

Sesshomaru barely even nodded his head. Although he didn't show it, he was slightly angry. Why had Rin come to such a dangerous place? And who was the Koimiomaru that the Samurai had mentioned? Why wasn't Rin telling him anything? Just earlier, she had avoided his question.

The Samurai groaned again, bringing Rin back to reality.

"Oh Kagome!" she cried, rushing over to help the Samurai stand. "He's been wounded by the spider heads. Let's take him back to our village to heal his wounds."

No one complained and they all headed back to the village, Sesshomaru included.

* * *

"Are you feeling better now?" Rin asked. The night when she had been attacked by the spider heads had passed and now it was the late afternoon of the following day. Sesshomaru had still stayed, only at a distance from the village, in the forest. He had come down a few times to ask Kaede about Rin's upbringing, but didn't show himself besides that. Rin knew that he would expect to see her just before he left again.

The Samurai nodded, but he still looked terribly upset. Saya was present also, having never left the Samurai's side all day.

"I'm healing I suppose," he sighed, "but I'm still rather uneasy. It's not like Master Koimiomaru to just take off like that, you know? I suppose we'll have to go find him starting tomorrow."

Saya nodded from beside him. "We're all that's left of Master Koimiomaru's servants," she said in a calm voice. "He needs to know what happened with the spider heads and we're the only ones he trusts that can tell him the truth. We must find him."

"Have you any idea where he might have gone?" Rin asked, worried for both of them. She wasn't sure about the Samurai, but she had grown to like Saya, even in a short period of time.

The Samurai shook his head. "We haven't a clue. All that's left is to search where we can for him. We'll need someone trustworthy to take along with us though..."

"You see," Saya began to explain, "Master Koimiomaru is so powerful, that he once told us that any spiritual person, like a monk or a priestess, can immediately feel his presence when he is near. He didn't explain the feeling to us, he just said 'They will know it's me.' So you see, we need to take along a monk or a priestess with us to find him, otherwise the task may be impossible. But not everyone is trustworthy and we have no payment to offer."

The Samurai looked up at Rin curiously. "What about you?" he questioned. Once he saw Rin's shock, he added "Master Koimiomaru himself has money to pay."

Rin swallowed nervously. They were asking her to find Koimiomaru, a man she had never met before. She thought in her mind that surely they could find someone else, but she knew that wasn't true. Who else could they trust? Not everyone who claimed to be a monk or even a priestess had spiritual power.

Rin was about to answer them, when she noticed the rapidly setting sun over the mountains.

"I-I will answer in the morning," she said, hurriedly standing up, knowing that she had to meet with Sesshomaru. "Please...just give me until then."

The Samurai nodded. "Very well priestess." But the look he gave her was one of desperate pleading. Rin had a hard time turning away from his gaze.

* * *

**There we go wit another chapter, and I hope that it turned out well. This is kind of a cliffhanger since in the next chapter she had to talk to Sesshomaru, but don't worry, it will come soon.**

**Please tell me what you think! :3**


	7. The Letter's Scent

Rin hurried towards the forest clearing where she knew Sesshomaru was waiting for her, only her mind was still troubled by the samurai's request. She tried to put it out of her head as she ran through the village, up the hills and into the forest. But as soon as she laid eyes on her lord, standing so regally and splendidly in the moonlight, her mind was at peace.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" she called, but he was already aware of her presence.

"Rin." He called her forth.

Rin hurried towards him and stood in front of him, smiling up. "Yes, my lord?" she asked.

Sesshomaru paused, not saying anything for a while. Finally he asked "Why where you in the cave of the spider heads?" he asked.

"I-"

"Why were you out of the village at all?"

"Well...um..." Rin hesitated, not sure how she should answer. Out of all the people in the world, Sesshomaru was the last one whom she wanted to find out about her going to visit the one person who wanted to vanquish all demons from the face of the earth.

"Did anyone know where you'd gone?" Sesshomaru pressed, his face emotionless. "Did you tell them about this?" He held up Koimiomaru's letter, which he had retrieved from Inuyasha earlier on.

Rin gasped. "Where did you...?"

"Answer the question," Sesshomaru ordered. His face and voice were still calm, only on the inside he was quite angry. _Why would Rin go to such an outing, and especially without telling anyone. Why was she trying to keep this a secret from _him?

"M-my lord...I went because I..." Rin drew in some air. "I want to become stronger, my lord."

Sesshomaru showed no change of emotion but instead echoed back a word. "Stronger?"

Rin nodded. "Yes my lord. I wish to become as strong a priestess as I can."

"For what purpose?" Sesshomaru asked, unsure of what answer she would give him.

"To..." Rin looked away this time, refusing to admit her own feeble hopes. _To be able to follow you, my lord._

Sesshomaru waited, but when he saw that Rin gave him no further answer, he dropped the letter. "I see," he said, coldly turning away. "Is it so that you can go out into the world and kill demons?" he asked, the words barely escaping his mouth, although no one would have guessed it.

"W-what?!" Rin cried, shocked. "No, never my lord!"

"If that is your desire Rin, I will not interfere," Sesshomaru said. His back was turned to her, so Rin couldn't see what expression he wore.

"Please listen to me, Lord Sesshomaru!" she cried out, desperate to clear up any misunderstandings. She had to admit that that was what it would have seemed like to anyone, but she had no desire whatsoever to harm demons.

"Lord Sesshomaru..." she said, stepping closer to him. "Back there in the cave, you told me to stop. You stopped me before I even took aim at those spider heads. Why is that?" She looked up at him curiously, as his face was now in view.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes thoughtfully. "I did not think it in your nature to kill demons," he replied after a while.

Rin gasped. "So that's why..."

"Perhaps I was mistaken..." Sesshomaru took another step forward, but Rin grabbed his kimono.

"Lord Sesshomaru, it's not like that," she whispered, but Sesshomaru heard her perfectly. "I only want to become stronger...so that I may protect myself if necessary."

Sesshomaru tensed up. "So you don't feel safe here in this village?" he asked. "Rin, there isn't a demon around for miles."

Rin nodded. "I-I know that. Everyone's keeping it quite safe."

"Then why?" This time his eyebrows furrowed and Rin could tell that Sesshomaru was losing his patience.

"I want to travel my lord, like I used to," Rin said, her heart aching slightly. "I love it here in the village, only the woods are just as much my home as they ever were. I-I know that I'll only be a burden to you and Master Jaken in your empire, so it might be best for me to just travel alone."

Sesshomaru looked down at Rin, directly at her eyes for the first time.

"Then why involve yourself with other demons?" he asked.

"W-what?" Rin asked, shocked.

Sesshomaru's face was emotionless again. "You mean you didn't know? Rin, that letter reeked of a demon."

"WHAT?!" Rin exclaimed, stepping back a bit to brace herself. "T-that's not possible. K-Koimiomaru, who sent the letter is human!"

"I do not know of this Koimiomaru," Sesshomaru said, uninterested in what Rin had heard. "That letter smells clearly of a demon. Beyond me to say what kind of demon though."

It was true too. On his way flying to the spider heads' cave where Rin's scent had been the strongest, Sesshomaru mused over what the scent had been of. It was a demon scent alright, only he couldn't distinguish what sort of demon it was. The smell was cleverly disguised, for the letter smelled mostly of white sakura blossoms.

Rin shook her head, although she wasn't doubting at all Sesshomaru's keen nose. She just couldn't believe that Koimiomaru might be a demon. But, then what about what the Samurai, _his own servant_ had said about him? Surely he knew better? But Rin knew better than to doubt her lord. She just didn't know what to think anymore. Why would someone who was a demon want to extinguish all demons from the earth?

"Rin," Sesshomaru said, breaking her out of her daze. "What are you thinking of?"

Rin shook her head again. "What you said, my lord," she replied. "You read of Koimiomaru's purpose. Why would a demon, if that's what he is, want to destroy all other demons?"

Sesshomaru looked to the skies. "I'll soon find out. That scent was a strong one, so I expect this Koimiomaru to be likewise. You needn't concern yourself any further with this, Rin." He paused.

"You won't be seeing me for quite some time."

Now Rin felt a clear ache in her heart. "My lord?"

"I shall be very busy for the next few months," Sesshomaru said. "A search for a strong demon never is a simple thing. And I've also got other things in plan," he added, thinking of his treaty with the northern wolf tribe.

"Then I won't see you..." Rin echoed his words.

Sesshomaru gave Rin a look that could barely be classified as kind unless you were standing quite close, like Rin was.

"Promise me you'll stay safe," he said.

Rin's chin wobbling. "Yes my lord," she replied. "Only..." she didn't continue, thinking that Sesshomaru shouldn't know of her plan.

She was going to go with the Samurai and Saya to find Koimiomaru. She had two reasons for this.

One, to find out if he was a demon and also to find the meaning behind his purpose.

And second, she hoped to see Sesshomaru through this since he too would be looking for Koimiomaru.

Sesshomaru left then, leaving behind a beautiful yellow kimono behind him, which Rin tried on that very night. However she knew that might not wear it for some time, so she simply tucked it away.

The next morning, she went over to the Samurai and Saya and announced that she would be going with them. No one in the village questioned Rin's going, mostly because Kaede had predicted that something like that might happen.

"Rin is a young priestess who has greater power than she knows," Kaede had told everyone the night before, when Rin had still been talking with Sesshomaru. "She will choose to go out into the world to become closer and closer with Sesshomaru. Her admiration has not passed. Take heed and let her go. She will be safe with the Samurai and the child, for they are trustworthy. Let her find her own path, as my sister Kikyo did."

And so, Rin left, off on her own search of Koimiomaru.

* * *

**Now the REAL journey begins. New chapter coming out soon.**

**Please tell me what you think! :3**


	8. Enter Shippo

Rin set off with the Samurai and Saya the next day on a path that took them north out of the village. Inuyasha had been the only one to see her off, although his only words of parting were "Good luck."

Rin hoped that everyone understood her motives for going. Yes, she was going in order to help the Samurai and Saya and yes, she was going to meet Koimiomaru and know his motives for vanquishing demons, especially when he might have been a demon.

But more importantly, if Koimiomaru was as spiritually powerful as Saya and the Samurai described, she wanted to know if maybe Koimiomaru could help with developing _her_own spiritual powers. The words in his letter still stayed clear in her mind.

"How long might it take to find Koimiomaru?" Rin asked, once they had walked a fair distance away. Nothing but open grasslands and hills surrounded them now, and the bright sunshine shone down on them with the promises of the morning.

"We may never find him," the Samurai said calmly. "But we will keep going even if it takes us all our lives."

"Our entire lives?" Rin said. _I don't think I want to spend my entire life searching. I want to get back to the village soon...so that I'll be able to stay with everyone and still see Lord Sesshomaru..._

They walked on a bit more until they came to a village.

"Ah, our first stop!" the Samurai declared. "We might stay a bit to rest."

Rin followed the Samurai through the streets, little Saya beside her.

"How come you're not flying anymore?" Rin asked.

Saya looked up surprised. "Huh? Oh, I have lost my ability to fly. Master Koimiomaru gave me that gift only once in every full moon. He gave me a charm with that ability, only since he disappeared he cannot restore it's energy like he used to."

"You must think very much of him," Rin observed.

"Ah look there!" Saya called.

Rin turned her attention up ahead. A small group of villagers was picking on a weaker group. Rin gasped as she realized that the bullying group was actually a group of demons disguised as humans. They were lesser demons to be sure, only they were making such a nuisance. Wait a moment...they were fox demons!

Rin started to go forward, but the Samurai stretched out his arm to stop her. "Don't get involved," he said.

"Wh-what?!" Rin cried. "Don't you see what's happening?! I have to do something!"

"Our mission is to find Master Koimiomaru. That is our top priority. If we keep stopping for every little thing, then we may not ever find him."

Rin pushed passed the Samurai anyway, not believing what she had just heard. If he was a disciple of a pure-hearted master that he claimed Koimiomaru to be, then how could he be so cold-hearted to those who needed help?

"Stop it!" Rin yelled, running towards the crowd.

But at the same time, someone else yelled "Stop it!"

Rin looked up and saw that the sky darkened and a mysterious black cloud loomed over the crowd. Suddenly there was a 'Pop' and a fox demon landed in the middle of the crowd. Rin gasped. it was Shippo!

Suddenly the fox demons who had been bullying the humans turned back to their original form. Shippo put his hands on his hips and looked down at all of them as they bowed in a straight line in front of him.

"I though I told you to leave humans alone!" Shippo growled.

"We understand, master," one of the foxes said. "However it is our duty as fox demons to show how vicious we really are."

Shippo smacked his forehead. "What am I going to with you?"

"Shippo?" Rin called, pushing through the crowd.

Shippo beamed. "Rin!" He ran towards her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just wandering around," Rin said, "but that's not important. What are you doing here Shippo, and are these your disciples?"

Shippo glanced behind him, rather sheepishly. "Yes, I'm afraid so. They're new graduates from the Fox Academy and I've been instructed to be their sensei for a while. They're not very good listeners though."

Already Rin saw the foxes piling up atop one another, wrestling or something.

Shippo sighed. "Alright, cut it out!" he yelled, and the foxes all bowed again. He turned back to Rin. "Rin, shouldn't you be in the village with Inuyasha and the others?"

Rin shook her head. "Now I've made some new friends. We're searching for their master." She gestured behind her where Saya and the Samurai had been following close behind.

"Oh? And who's their master?" asked Shippo.

"He is the great Master Koimiomaru, a very spiritual priest," the Samurai exclaimed. "What would you know of him?"

"Koimiomaru?" Shippo said, looking very deep in thought. "Ah! He wouldn't happen to have a special shrine anywhere, would he?"

"Of course!" the Samurai said. "Master Koimiomaru has shrines built for him everywhere!"

"And would his symbol be a sort of white bird?" Shippo clarified.

"Yes," Saya answered. "The symbol of purity."

"Then I might know where to find him!" Shippo said excitedly. "Just a few days ago, me and my fellow fox demons were out in the woods chasing lesser demons for food. Then one of them stumbled across a very sacred looking stone, kept in a shrine. There was an odd aura about the place, and even the scent was pure. It seemed like a really fresh scent, so maybe he's been there recently?"

"Can you take us there?" the Samurai demanded.

Shippo nodded. "Sure! It's not all that far from here actually..."

_Not all that far from here?_ Rin wondered. _But then wait, what about what Samurai and Saya told me about having a 'special sense' when we'd be near Koimiomaru? I haven't felt a thing all day! Could this mean that my spiritual powers aren't good enough?_

This new thought worried her, and made her feel as if she was useless in the search for Koimiomaru. But what could she do? She'd already agreed to go along with the search and if she revealed now that maybe she didn't have the spiritual energy required for finding their master, then maybe she'd just be sent back to the village and all her hopes of becoming a strong priestess would never be fulfilled.

Suddenly she heard a gentle, caressing voice in her mind.

_"Be patient..."_ it echoed.

Rin looked around, but no one else seemed to have heard it. The Samurai and Shippo were too busy discussing the location of the stone, while the villagers had moved on with their daily activities. Even Saya didn't seem to hear anything.

_What was that?_ wondered Rin. She waited a bit more, hoping to hear the voice again, but she never did.

"Fine then!" the Samurai concluded. "Lead us to the stone!"

* * *

**Another chapter is finally out and sorry that it took me so long. I had a little writer's block because I know where I'm going with the story, but I just had to make the storyline make sense around this little part.**

**Please review and tell me what you think. :3**


	9. A Voice Leads the Way

Rin, the Samurai and Saya all followed after Shippo and his apprentices as they led them out of the village and into the nearby forest. Finding the sacred shrine that Shippo spoke of wasn't hard, however Rin still couldn't sense anything, not even a presence of purity.

As soon as they arrived at the shrine, both the Samurai and Saya recognized the markings and so they both bowed down and said a silent prayer before turning to Rin.

"Do you sense anything priestess?" the Samurai asked.

Rin shook her head. "Nothing. And even if I were to sense something, it would've been from far back."

"I see. We must move on then," the Samurai said, not sounding the least bit discouraged.

"Wait!" Shippo called, a bit upset that he couldn't be of more help. "Tell us a bit about this Koimiomaru person and then maybe we can help. If we had a scent or something, I'm sure that we can track him down."

"Master Koimiomaru cannot be tracked down through scent," Saya explained. "His is a scent of purity and so it is only left behind at his shrines. That is why he can only be found by those with purification powers."

Shippo blushed, noticing Saya for the first time. They seemed to be of about the same age and Saya was very pretty after all.

"Ah...well..."

"Master Shippo, are you _blushing_?" teased one of his apprentices.

"O-of course not!" Shippo insisted as they crowded around him.

"Huh?" Saya was not completely caught up.

Rin sighed as she too went over to the shrine, ignoring everyone else around her.

_Why can't I sense anything?_ she questioned both herself and the shrine. _Are my powers really not as strong as I thought?_

Suddenly she heard the same voice as before. _Be patient_...

Rin paid closer attention to it this time to find that it was definitely a male voice. Only this one was gentle and it sounded very caring and pure. Rin felt as if it made her more powerful just listening to it. She wanted to hear more of it so she tried asking another question.

_How can I find Koimiomaru?_ she asked, this time directly her question at the voice.

_Touch the stone_, the voice instructed her.

Rin did as she was told, but no one seemed to have noticed her do so. Suddenly she felt a sense of well-being and at the same time there was something unknown mixed with that. She felt it strongly in the direction that led away to the village and up into the mountains, only past those as well.

"I-I think I know where we have to go," Rin said, rushing directly to the Samurai.

"Where?" he demanded.

Rin pointed. "Up into those mountains...no beyond that! Past those mountains!"

"Uh Rin, I-I'm not so sure if you should go there," Shippo said with a shiver.

"Why not?" Rin asked.

"T-that's where the Snow Leopard Demon lives," Shippo said and suddenly all his disciples became very afraid as well, all of them shivering and cowering behind Shippo for protection.

"Snow Leopard Demon?" the Samurai asked. "Priestess, are you sure?"

"My name is Rin," she corrected, getting a bit annoyed with how the Samurai only seemed to refer to her as a priestess, "and yes, I'm sure. I'm not sure how but the moment I touched the stone in the shrine I got a special feeling and well...I just sense that that's where we have to go."

Saya took Rin by the hand. "I believe her," she said, facing the Samurai. "And is makes sense as Master Koimiomaru is probably leading her there. She indeed senses him."

The Samurai grunted and then began to go towards that direction. Only Saya and Rin said goodbye to the fox demons, Saya giving Shippo a kiss on the cheek for thanks.

"D-do you think they'll be safe Master?" a fox asked Shippo as they watched them leave.

"I hope so," Shippo said. "I hope so..."

* * *

Sesshomaru's palace in the west was in a state of complete panic. Not for Sesshomaru of course, but for all his servants, particularly Jaken, who ran back and forth from room to room trying to carry out their orders. Sesshomaru had a lot on his plate just then as he had three important projects underway.

The first of course, was the one with the Northern Wolf Tribe. Even after offering them more reserves, they had refused him along with a threat of attack if he didn't leave them in peace. Sesshomaru wasn't taking this lightly of course so now he was preparing an army to go up there with the treaty and fight only if necessary. He still didn't want a full on war on his hands.

The second was finding out all he could about Koimiomaru. Ever since sniffing that letter Sesshomaru's mind had been full of this mysterious being of whom he knew nothing. It wasn't too surprising either as there was not even a single shrine dedicated to Koimiomaru in the West. If there was, Sesshomaru would have known of it by now. Something was just wrong about the whole idea of this demon, as Sesshomaru was convinced that Koimiomaru was a demon. He was having Jaken do personal research on that.

Then the third event taking place was a feast for some of his father's old friends, some of them dog demons and others just strong demons in general but all of them were Elders and as the new Lord of the West, Sesshomaru knew that impressing them through a banquet and letting them see how he ran the empire was the best way to show that he was fit to be a Lord. It wasn't as if he needed their approval either way but he wanted to respect his father's traditions.

"Jaken!" Sesshomaru bellowed, not finding much of a use for the gong anymore. The Demon Lord was on edge anyway and had absolute zero patience at the moment.

"My lord!" Jaken exclaimed, rushing into the room and bowing.

"Anything to report?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Eh...well that is...n-no milord," Jaken replied timidly.

Sesshomaru glared coldly down at him bu in the end he didn't do anything.

"Go out and search with Ah-Un in that case," he said, tossing Jaken the letter. "Make sure to find anything with a similar scent to that."

Jaken picked up the letter and nodded. "Y-yes milord."

Then Jaken was excused and Sesshomaru walked once more to the window, unsure himself why he was so on edge. Was it really all of the tasks that lay ahead of him? No, none of them seemed to be that difficult. Then why? He hadn't acknowledged it or even realize it, but he'd been on edge ever since Rin had refused to tell him about the letter and Koimiomaru. Having to find out himself was not something Sesshomaru was accustomed to doing.

_Why? Rin...why?_ he thought as he stared out into the night.

* * *

**Ok everyone that's the chapter! I know it's been forever since I've written again but I'm going to try to keep writing for a while. And as angry as Sesshomaru is right now, he doesn't know yet that Rin went LOOKING for Koimiomaru. All things will be found out in good time though.**

**Please tell me what you think. :3**


	10. Searches

Rin had to admit that climbing up a mountain was no easy feat. It was even harder to actually _get_ to the base of the mountain is seemed. The valley through which Rin, the Samurai and Saya needed to travel was wider than it had looked at first and they had barely just reached their first village before the Samurai needed to stop and rest. It was for the first time that Rin noticed that he was considerably older than she was and being young and used to travelling, Rin had a lot of stamina so she could keep going. Saya seemed to be doing alright as well. But the Samurai was just as determined as any of them so they didn't stay in the village for long.

They all had little money so there was not much they could buy anyway. It was in the middle of a country road that Saya suggested that they stop. There was a creek nearby and both the Samurai and Saya went to drink from it. Rin was the only one that hesitated, looking around her as if unsure of her surroundings. It seemed that the closer she came to the mountain, the more she began to sense a sort of presence. Was it really Koimiomaru because that was the only thing she could think of.

At the same time though, was was confused as to why. After all, Shippo had claimed that that mountain was inhabited by a Snow Leopard Demon and that was as far from a pure source as any. At least Rin thought so. She herself had never encountered a Snow Leopard Demon so she had no idea what to expect.

"Priestess," the Samurai said, bringing Rin out of her thoughts. "You are not my any chance hesitant in finding Master Koimiomaru?"

Rin bit her lip, still unsure about that as well. She still kept in mind what Sesshomaru had told her about the scent of the letter. Of course that didn't prove anything about Koimiomaru himself but if it had something to do with a demon...

"Those mountains are where I'm beginning to sense a presence," she said, narrowly avoiding the Samurai's question. He seemed to grow only more and more suspicious of her, although Rin didn't know why. She wasn't associated with Koimiomaru as much as Saya and the Samurai were but she wanted to help them just the same. Her curiosity was at it's highest when she thought of Koimiomaru.

The Samurai eyed her suspiciously again but in the end they continued on.

* * *

Jaken was exhausted. He had been travelling for a while now and despite Ah-Un doing all the work, Jaken was pretty tired himself. After all, he had to keep his eyes open for any mysterious shrines and whatnot and that wasn't an easy thing to do through the green canopy that the trees made over the land.

_Sometimes Lord Sesshomaru gives the most unreasonable requests_, Jaken thought, as he and Ah-Un finally flew down to rest by a small waterfall. _And he expects me, his most loyal servant, to carry them out perfectly. I realize of course this shows how much Lord Sesshomaru trusts me yet at the same time I feel vexed at having so much to do!_

Until no the imp had been lying down and staring at the sky but then he finally picked himself up and walked towards Ah-Un.

"Well, let's get going," Jaken said, taking hold of Ah-Un's reins. But Ah-Un refused to take off.

"Oh!" Jaken said, jumping off Ah-Un's back. "Move you stupid creature! Move!"

But Ah-Un only roared in his face, obviously too tired to care.

Suddenly they all heard a rustle in the nearby bushes.

"Come out at once!" yelled Jaken, staff at ready. "Or be prepared to meet the rath of the staff of two heads!"

Slowly and timidly, a small village boy emerged from the bushes.

Jaken paused a bit surprised; he'd been expecting a demon. "You're only a human," Jaken said. "Shoo shoo! Get out of here!"

"A-are you a demon?" the boy asked timidly.

Jaken stared at him in disbelief. _Although he doesn't look it, this boy's an idiot,_ Jaken thought. "Of course I'm a demon! Now get back to your village little boy!"

The boy stayed in place though. "I-I've never seen a demon before."

_This boy looks like he plans on staying around_, Jaken thought. _Maybe I'd better have a go and scare him a bit_.

And Jaken was about to do just this, when the boy spoke up again, surprising him. "Are you the demon of the shrine?" the boy asked.

Jaken stopped with his staff in midair and paused, looking at the boy. "Er...shrine...you say?"

Ah-Un roared, as if clarifying that they should investigate further into this matter. They were looking for a shrine after all and they couldn't leave anything overlooked.

"Ah boy! Can you take us to this shrine you speak of?" Jaken asked.

The boy nodded. "Of course! It's just a ways from here."

"Excellent! Lead the way then," Jaken said, once again mounting Ah-Un. And so both demons followed the boy quietly through the forest as he led them towards a shrine.

* * *

**A shorter chapter I know but I PROMISE that the next chapter is going to be pretty long and I'm hoping to make it worth reading as well. This was kind of just a passing chapter but in the next chapter it gets good.**

**Please tell me what you think. :3**


	11. The Figure at Night

"You impudent child! How dare you lead us to nothing!" Jaken yelled at the village boy while raising his staff high above his head and preparing to hit the boy with it. Luckily Ah-Un held him back.

"I-I'm sorry," the boy stammered whilst covering his head.

Little did Jaken know that the broken down old shrine that the little boy had led them too actually _had_ once belonged to Koimiomaru but it was abandoned now. In the end of course, Jaken and Ah-Un simply flew off and left the boy alone.

_Oh, Lord Sesshomaru, _Jaken thought sadly. _Do you even realize to what extent I, your faithful servant, go to when performing what tasks you demand of me? Even though it's been years since Rin's traveled with us, things have not changed. You still treat her better than you treat me on the rare occasions that you see her and I'm still the one left doing all the dirty work. Well, I suppose that searching for shrines is the next best thing to monitoring a child all the time._

Of course the imp was far from satisfied but nonetheless he had no choice but to continue on his mission.

"Make sure to stop at whatever seems important," Jaken instructed Ah-Un and then he collapsed on the dragon's back, clearly tired out.

* * *

It was a long journey to the base of the mountain but in one day's time Rin, the Samurai and Saya had made it. They were seen entering a village at the base of the mountain to rest. They had little money but the innkeeper agreed to let them stay as she was a religious person and noting Rin's priestess attire, she allowed them to stay without pay.

Rin was a bit troubled through dinner, so she did not eat much. She felt an odd lingering presence just as before only this time it was getting stronger. Could the mountain really be where Koimiomaru intended to lead them?

"Priestess?"

Rin lifted her head up at hearing her name being called by the innkeeper.

"You seem troubled," the kind woman said.

"Oh no," Rin said, glancing outside the open door. "It's simply that I cannot help but feel uneasy here."

"Is it because of the demonic aura?" the innkeeper asked.

"What?" the Samurai asked, startled.

The innkeeper stirred the stew pot on the table. "Surely you must know. These nearby mountains are home to a Snow Leopard Demon, one of the most powerful that there is."

"We have not come here looking for a demon," the Samurai said. The innkeeper looked surprised at this. "We are looking for my master."

The innkeeper nodded understandingly. "Nonetheless it is strange that anyone, human or demon, would ever come here. We ourselves only live here because the land is quite fertile and the waters here are very clean, almost pure."

Saya's ears perked up. "Pure you say?"

The innkeeper nodded. "Indeed. There is a spring at the base of the mountain with a waterfall. It is believed that the water there comes from high up in the mountains and goes even past the demonic aura of the Snow Leopard Demon. It is so pure a water, that when the old and the sick of our village drink it, they become well and healthy overnight."

The Samurai turned to Rin. "It must be our master. Do you sense anything, priestess?"

Rin nodded. "Yes, and it's quite strong."

"Perhaps whom you are searching for is the creator of the spring, although it has been around before the time of my birth," the innkeeper said.

"How old is your master?" Rin asked the Samurai, becoming dubious as to whether it was Koimiomaru purifying the water or not. A lot of things just didn't fit in with what the innkeeper was saying. The water was pure and the lands were fertile yet they lived at the base of the home of a Snow Leopard Demon so shouldn't the ground be frozen and the water as well? And if there was indeed a demonic aura nearby, then how could the waters be pure?

_But wait a minute_, Rin thought, staring down again at her food. _If there is a demonic aura nearby, is that what I'm sensing? Then Koimiomaru isn't here at all and I've led everyone astray?_

The Samurai interrupted her thoughts by speaking. "It matters not who created the spring or who purified it. This priestess senses our master nearby and we intend to go up into the mountains and search for him tomorrow."

"You'd better have a powerful priestess then," the innkeeper said whilst looking at Rin. "I do not know about your master but the Snow Leopard Demon is surely up there and it will take a great amount of spiritual energy to defeat it."

Rin gulped, not sure if she had the great amount of spiritual energy that the innkeeper was talking about.

* * *

Late into the night after everyone had gone to bed, Rin was still awake, pondering over what she might have to do the next day. She didn't relish the thought of killing a demon in general, just as she hadn't relished trying to kill the spider heads back in the cave. She was fairly afraid, not of the demons, but of the fact that she might have mistaken what she had sensed and that her powers really weren't enough. Then her entire journey would have been for nothing and she'd go back to the village empty handed.

_Maybe I should've stayed_, Rin thought. _I should've known better. Maybe I'm really not as good a priestess as Lady Kikyo or Kagome or even Kaede. I'm just a normal village girl and maybe I should've stayed that way.._.

But being around demons, monks and priestesses for most of her life had made her ache and long so much to be a part of all of them. Sango, Kagome and Miroku were humans as well but they were all still powerful.

Kagome was the most powerful priestess besides Kikyo that Rin had ever seen and not a single one of her arrows missed. Kagome never hesitated while shooting any arrows either.

Then there was Sango, who was a professional demon slayer. Although she dedicated most of her days to mothering her children, if a demon ever showed up, Sango had her hiraikotsu ready and Kirara at her side.

And finally there was Miroku, who was still powerful as a monk even without his wind tunnel. Just his sacred staff or seals were enough to send any demon on the run.

But it was quite obvious that the most influential people in her life who made her desire so much to become stronger were Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha was the most powerful half-demon in the world probably and Rin couldn't deny that his Tetsusaiga was indeed a powerful sword and Inuyasha had mastered it perfectly. Not that he ever was without it nowadays but even if he couldn't use his Tetsusaiga he still had his claws and those also seemed quite powerful to Rin.

But more than anyone, Rin was inspired by Sesshomaru. Although she tried not to think about it much, she still wanted to be with him and follow him wherever he went. Rin almost hated herself for being a human and sometimes she felt that just trying to be a strong priestess was useless as she knew that Sesshomaru would never accept a human into his empire. It was true that Sesshomaru had made many exceptions to her as opposed to most humans but she knew that she couldn't chase after him forever like a stubborn child. There was no place for her in his empire. No place for her next to the power of his Tenseiga and the power of his Bakusaiga. She was just...useless...

She'd gone on the mission with the Samurai and Saya more for her own purposes than to truly help them find Koimiomaru. Was that why she wasn't successful in finding him yet? She wasn't even sure if she sensed him after all. Was her power not enough?

In the midst of being lost deep in thought, Rin thought that she heard a noise. She was sharing a room with the innkeeper herself as well as Saya and only the Samurai was in another room. Rin looked around her but both Saya and the innkeeper were asleep. Suddenly Rin spotted a shadow outside the inn. Keeping her guard up, she grabbed hold of her bow and sheath of arrows, and slowly crept outside. The looked around the courtyard and then both left and right but no one was in sight.

It was only when she looked up that she finally saw something, or rather _someone_. It was a figure dressed in a white kimono and it was situated on the roof. Rin rushed out into the courtyard and reached for an arrow from her sheath.

"Wait!" the voice commanded and the voice sounded so sweet, comforting and harmless, that Rin couldn't even touch her arrows before lowering her hand. Instead she just stepped forward, her eyes never leaving the figure. It's voice sounded...so familiar though...

"Who are you?" Rin asked, although her voice came out no louder than a whisper.

"Do you want to see me?" the figure asked. "Then follow me."

It leaped down from the roof on the other side of the inn walls. Rin scarcely hesitated and bounded forward after it, without fully knowing why. All she knew was that she had to see who it was and find out why...why it sounded like she knew the person although although she'd never seen the person before in her life. She didn't even think to look back as she followed the figure deeper and deeper into the forest.

She traveled for what seemed like a short time but in the end she found herself in a clearing on the mountain that overlooked the valley. Finally when the figure stopped and Rin looked behind her, she was shocked to find how quickly time had passed and how much she had traveled. The clearing was a beautiful meadow with white flowers blossoming on the ground around her and the figure. Even in the darkness of the night it was hard to see the figure because of the white kimono. Looking more closely, Rin also saw that the figure had long white hair as well. At first Rin thought that it was maybe Sesshomaru but it wasn't his voice that she'd heard and his hair was silver, not white.

"Who are you?" Rin asked again. Despite travelling the distance, she still managed to keep a firm hold on her bow however the arrows had fallen out of her sheath while she climbed the mountain and now she was left with only one arrow.

The figure stepped forward and it was now for the first time that Rin saw clearly who it was.

It was a man, who looked almost as magnificent as Sesshomaru himself, only in a way that looked quite human. His hair was long an white and on his forehead he wore a silver chain with a full-moon charm on his forehead. His kimono was completely white with an exquisite design on it however he wore no armor and no shoes. His attire was quite simple yet astonishing to look at as well. His face extremely gentle and his eyes were a light grey. All in all he was a very handsome man but he looked so unearthly that Rin didn't know what to make of him.

"Your are the priestess Rin, correct?" he asked.

Rin shivered when he spoke her name, never having heard it said quite in that way before. His voice was filled with admiration, hope and almost something like profound trust. Rin was certain she hadn't met him before yet he looked at her affectionately as if they were long-lost friends.

She wanted to ask him who _he_ was but instead she found herself responding to his question. "Yes I am," she said.

The man smiled and it was a smile that tugged at Rin's heart. She felt as if she wasn't quite herself anymore.

"Who are you?" she asked, struggling to gain her composure. As a precaution she took out the last arrow she had and set it on the bow, yet she didn't dare shoot it. It seemed almost unmoral to shoot such a...a pure-looking man. Rin was convinced now that he was surely a spirit.

The man stretched out his arms as if in a form of surrender and it was only then that Rin realized that the entire time she had been having the same sense that she had at the stone only this time she felt it completely through her entire body. Nothing had been as clear as that before. Even standing up on a high mountain and armed with only one arrow, she felt powerful.

Rin became frightened though when the man didn't answer her and she was just about to let the arrow fly when out of nowhere a giant white leopard appeared. It was twice the size of a normal leopard and big enough to ride on. Rin had never seen a white leopard before so she thought it beautiful yet at the same time she knew that it must be the Snow Leopard Demon so instinctively she aimed her arrow at it as it entered the meadow. The leopard paused and made no move towards her or the man.

"Would you really kill such a delicate creature?" the man asked, bringing Rin's attention back to him.

Now she was stuck. Who should she focus on, the leopard or the man? The leopard seemed to be the more dangerous one and if the man truly was a spirit as she expected, could her spiritual powers be enough to kill something of the netherworld? Only Sesshomaru's Tenseiga could do that as far as she knew...

Suddenly looking back and forth from the man to the leopard, Rin began to feel tired. It was the middle of the night after all and she hadn't slept but there was also something else at work. Her vision was beginning to go blurry and she could hardly feel anything anymore besides the light breeze that brushed at her cheeks. And it smelled so sweet...the flowers were so beautiful and pure...

Rin sighed, not knowing what to do and then she lowered her arrow as a form of her own surrender.

"Tell me who you are," she whispered, as a last attempt to understand everything.

"I am-"

But Rin never heard the rest.

* * *

**I know, major cliffhanger but I figured that this chapter was long enough. I filled it with a lot of mystery but a lot of things will be explained in the next chapter which will also be long and the next chapter will also include Sesshomaru. Thanks for being patient for this chapter everyone and I hope you liked it!**

**Please tell me what you think. :3**


	12. The Meadow

Rin woke up the next morning outside of the inn with a sweet fragrance lingering in the air. As soon as the innkeeper and a few servants saw her and came to her aid however, the smell vanished and Rin was fully awake.

"P-priestess! Are you alright?" the innkeeper asked worriedly.

Rin rubbed at her head. It didn't hurt, but she still felt a bit dazed. "Where are my travelling companions?" she asked, finding that she quite forgot her way around the inn.

"They are both still sleeping. Shall I wake them up?" a servant asked.

Rin nodded and then stood up, surprised to find that she needed her bow to help balance herself. She wasn't wounded in any way, but she felt really weak. She was escorted to the dining room where the Samurai and Saya came later on. The Samurai scolded her for wandering off to "God knows where!" in the middle of the night while Saya was just happy that she came back. Rin didn't really get to explain what happened until they made it halfway through the meal. At this time the innkeeper excused herself to see to the other guests, so Rin was left alone with her two companions.

"Last night I think I went into the mountains," Rin said. "I think I saw the Snow Leopard Demon."

"What? Did you kill it?" the Samurai asked.

Rin shook her head. "No. I'm not sure why but I just...I couldn't bring myself to do it. Actually there was someone else there...a human I think."

"What did he look like?" the Samurai demanded excitedly.

"He wore a white kimono. Actually all of him was white, even his hair. Also there's something else. In his presence, I felt the same sense I had when I was near the stone."

The Samurai jumped up. "That must be Master Koimiomaru then! What else?"

"Well, he was talking to me. He seemed really young and..."

The Samurai's expression fell and he sat back down again. "That wasn't Master Koimiomaru then."

"What? But I haven't finished!"

"No need. Master Koimiomaru is an old man so it couldn't be him whom you sensed. Probably a demon."

"But the Snow Leopard Demon is the only one on the mountain according to the innkeeper and I already saw the leopard in the meadow!"

Saya however wasn't quick to judge and instead paid attention to what Rin said. "Meadow? You were in a meadow?"

Rin sighed with relief and nodded. "Yes. It was a meadow full of white flowers. There was snow everywhere else but in the meadow it was peaceful and warm. The Snow Leopard Demon didn't seem to mean anyone any harm and it was a most beautiful demon."

"A _beautiful demon_?!" spat the Samurai. "Priestess, you are an odd one at that. If you have a love for demons then there's no way Master Koimiomaru would accept you. Are you sure you've actually sensed something this entire time?"

Rin's heart sank and she looked down at the ground with shame. She actually wasn't at all confident about her own powers and what the Samurai said only made her feel worse. It was true that she did think of demons more as people as well because of her years with Sesshomaru and Jaken, but it was really just too much to expect her to hate them in order to become powerful. If that was Koimiomaru's goal, when she didn't want to be a part of it.

But on the other hand, she'd already agreed to help Saya and the Samurai and she was almost like their only hope. Also, she didn't forget that Sesshomaru would also be looking for Koimiomaru and she wanted to meet him again. Never before did she feel more trapped or weak than at that moment.

Saya gave the Samurai a hard glare but the Samurai just got up and walked outside without a single word of apology.

Saya gave Rin a small smile. "What else happened?" she asked softly.

"The figure seemed pure," Rin murmured. "I'm not entirely sure that it was not Koimiomaru."

Saya shook her head. "I'm not sure what you saw Rin, but Master Koimiomaru is indeed an old man. He had gone through many years of spiritual training and has even meditated in a cave for a year with very little food and water. I'm afraid there is no way he could be young."

Rin wanted to agree with the small girl, but at the same time wedged in the back of her mind was what Sesshomaru had told her about the scent. Out of all the voices in her head, _his_ echoed the loudest and it was telling her that Koimiomaru was a demon. If he was truly the man she had encountered the night before, then maybe he was a demon because demons could maintain a youthful appearance.

In any case, Rin knew that she had to get back to the meadow to find out all the answers. She prayed that something, _anything_ would guide her to make the right decisions.

* * *

Sesshomaru was getting restless. He never was one to wait patiently for something to happen and his search for Koimiomaru was no acception. By the third day Jaken had been gone with no signs of return and no news to report, Sesshomaru was on edge about the entire matter. He had managed to postpone the banquet with the Elders for a month as some of them had traveled to the east for new prey, but the war with the Northern Wolf Tribe was fast approaching and Sesshomaru obviously couldn't be in two places at once.

Of course he cared about the war and expanding his empire more than anything and had initially put it as his first priority, however he had come to see Koimiomaru as something that somehow stood in the way of his goals. It was just too unusual, a demon with so-called 'pure' powers and especially a demon that wasn't easy to find. Sesshomaru would have thought that Jaken would have at least made a bit of process.

As if on que, at that moment Jaken flew in on Ah-Un through the window, causing Sesshomaru to stand up and give him a full on glare.

"Well?" the Demon Lord demanded. "What have you found?"

"N-nothing good I'm afraid milord," Jaken stammered.

Sesshomaru wasn't patient at all, and was extremely tempted to use his poison claws on Jaken, however it was obvious that Jaken still had something to report nonetheless.

"Answer me," he hissed.

Jaken bowed low on the ground, his eyes squeezed shut. "Milord, just one night before, Ah-Un and I were flying over the mountain where the feared, yet not nearly as feared as you, Snow Leopard Demon resides. We thought to stop there for a rest but just as we need, we noticed a human climbing the mountain towards where the demon resides. Upon closer inspection, we saw that it was Rin milord."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened. "What?"

"Aye milord. I myself did not believe it but in was indeed she. She stopped in an open meadow of snow and for a while she acted quite peculiarly speaking to no one and even held up an arrow as if to shoot at something. We lingered a bit and then young Rin seems to have fainted. Naturally we went down to transport her back into the safety of the village, only by the time Ah-Un landed, she was gone milord."

Sesshomaru stared intently down at the imp, but at the same time he had stiffened. There were many questions that swam through his head but in the end he settled on just one, which was perhaps the one that he cared about the most. _What could you be thinking, Rin_? _  
_

Then without a word, he effortlessly ran out of the room and jumped through the window, the breeze picking him up and just like that, he flew away. His destination? The mountain of the Snow Leopard Demon.

* * *

After eating and thanking the innkeeper for everything, with the possible promise of returning at night, Rin and her companions set off for the meadow. Rin led the way as she strangely remembered where to go from the night before. Only this time it was different since she didn't feel anything pulling at her at all. The feeling of purity from before was gone and so was every other sense she had. She still sensed a demon though, only it was probably the Snow Leopard Demon.

Halfway up the mountain, they stopped for a rest and finally the Samurai apologized for what he had said earlier. Rin had noticed Saya whispering to him and nudging him several times as they walked, only each time the Samurai had brushed her off. Maybe it was a good thing that he listened because his apology made Rin feel much better. She had managed to reassure herself about her abilities, but the Samurai's words had still hurt a little after all. Rin didn't consider the Samurai a friend per say, but she did know that given the chance, she would _like_ to become friends. He was stubborn and had a hard exterior though and lecturing her was never out of the cards for him.

Finally by about sunset, they'd reached the meadow only this time Rin was shocked to find that there was only snow and the feeling from before...all traces of the purity of the flowers and the meadow were gone.

"I-I don't understand this," Rin said, clutching at her bow. Had she been wrong all along? Was everything that happened the other night merely a dream? Maybe she walked out only to the front of the inn and then collapsed from tiredness. She felt a gut-wrenching feeling at the knowledge that everything was for nothing. Maybe she really didn't have the ability...she wasn't Lady Kikyo or Kagome after all...

Suddenly she sensed a demon presence and her head jerked up. It suddenly seemed to get colder and the sky grew darker and darker. A blizzard started to form and soon their feet were covered in snow. Rin was the first to see it emerge from the other side of the meadow, the Snow Leopard Demon from before. She recognized it alright, and was even tempted to step towards it, only it was an entirely different sight from before. The leopard was crouched back, it's teeth bared; a savage, wild thing. It wasn't at all like what she remembered.

"The Demon!" the Samurai exclaimed. "We must kill it!"

"No, please stop!" Rin screamed, almost on the verge of tears. She didn't want to kill the leopard. While it looked completely wild and willing to kill them, it's eyes had a hint of the purity from before left and Rin couldn't possibly condone killing it.

"Are you insane?!" the Samurai yelled, sword at ready. "We must kill it before it kills us!" Even Saya seemed a bit on edge and prepared to attack, and this made Rin uneasy.

Rin didn't know what else to do. She threw herself in front of them, her back to the leopard. "I know it looks dangerous, but I don't think it'll hurt us!" she exclaimed. She chanced a look back at the leopard which hadn't moved ever since she stepped in front of the Samurai. It no longer showed any intention of attacking them.

Suddenly the snow cleared away from the meadow and the white flowers buried under it were revealed. A sweet smell returned to the air and Rin once again felt at peace with the world. This time she completely dropped her bow and arrow and turned to face the leopard. Coming out into the meadow from behind it was the figure from before, a kind yet gallant smile on his face.

The Samurai and Saya both dropped their weapons and kneeled to the ground.

"Master Koimiomaru..." the Samurai whispered.

Rin's eyes widened. So the figure from the night before...was Koimiomaru?

* * *

**Gah! Cliffhanger I know, but I just can't resist putting them in chapter after chapter!**

**Please tell me what you think. :3**


	13. The Curse

The figure did not respond to either the Samurai or Saya's call. As a matter of fact, he didn't seem to recognize them. Rin was beyond confused. Was he Koimiomaru or not? She noticed that the leopard did not leave his side so was he maybe an illusion made up by the demon? After all, Rin had been told that the demon was plenty powerful. But then where did all the sense of peace come from? All the purity...was it also an illusion? Shouldn't her senses be able to detect something? Was she really a useless priestess after all?

"Stop it," the figure suddenly said, it's sweet voice familiar to Rin. "Do not think ill of yourself."

"It speaks in the voice of Master Koimiomaru!" the Samurai exclaimed.

"That _is_ Master Koimiomaru!" Saya exclaimed.

"It can't be! Open your eyes, that's a demon!"

"A demon, am I?" the figure asked. "Samurai, Saya, don't either of your recognize your own dear master?"

Rin gasped. So then...that _was_ Koimiomaru. B-but why was he with the Snow Leopard Demon? Rin was convinced that Sesshomaru had spoken the truth. Koimiomaru was a demon! But then had he deceived his own servants by making them think he was a human? What was his purpose? Why should he want to vanquish all demons if he himself was a demon?!

Rin was about to reach for an arrow in her sheath, when suddenly her bow was broken in half.

"Rin, it is not in your nature to kill," Koimiomaru said, stepping forward. "Don't think you can kill me, even if I am a demon."

"T-then...Master Koimiomaru, you are a demon?!" the Samurai exclaimed.

Koimiomaru smiled and even though it would probably look like a cruel smile on anyone else, on him it looked peaceful and not in the least bit evil. Rin had to admit that even with the ferocious Snow Leopard Demon standing right next to him like a pet, he didn't look evil. He was still pure. B-but a pure demon? That was impossible! Rin couldn't sense even a bit of demonic aura around him! Instead, all she sensed was a white kind of aura that was as pure as snow.

"Indeed, I am a demon," Koimiomaru said. "And indeed I do have demonic powers, only I have managed to subdue them quite well."

"So you've deceived us then?" the Samurai asked, looking both bewildered and angry. Clearly his master had changed in his eyes. Rin wasn't sure if finding him was the best thing if it produced such a result.

"If you'd known I was a demon, whatever my purpose, would you have served me?" Koimiomaru asked a bit sadly.

The Samurai hesitated while reaching for his sword.

"Saya, Samurai," Koimiomaru said calmly. "Do you not both hate and detest demons? Saya, your parents were killed by a demon and Samurai, your whole family and village was slaughtered by demons. You both came to me, or rather I came to you in your time of need. I knew that you would both be willing to serve a purpose for vanquishing demons, only I doubted that you'd even consider helping me if you knew that I too was a demon."

"If you're a demon, then why would you want to kill other demons?" Rin asked, still remaining calm. She was the only one who stilled viewed Koimiomaru in the same light. Maybe it was because she'd already known about him ahead of time from Sesshomaru.

"Rin, you still wish to know my purpose?" Koimiomaru asked, this time with a gentle voice. He was smiling at Rin and his eyes were for her alone. All of a sudden, Rin wasn't certain that the Samurai and Saya were even there anymore.

_Huh? My body...why do I feel so weak all of a sudden? Almost as if...as if I want to sleep_...

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rin replied back, but she was indeed growing weaker. Koimiomaru's figure was all she could see anymore; all she could focus on. Even the leopard was out of focus.

"Rin!"

Rin heard Saya call her name in the background, only she felt unable to answer. Only she and Koimiomaru existed. Was she under a spell? Was everything an illusion? But she couldn't break the illusion with her sacred arrows since her bow was broken...

She was just about to try picking up her bow when suddenly she sensed a familiar demonic aura approaching quickly. Looking up to the skies, she spotted no other than Sesshomaru coming to land in the meadow.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" she gasped, feeling Koimiomaru's illusion weakening. He too was distracted by Sesshomaru's appearance.

Most would have expected Sesshomaru to turn straight to Koimiomaru, but instead his eyes focused on Rin as he landed a few feet away from her on the meadow.

"Rin, why are you here?" he asked. His face was expressionless, but in truth he was confused. Why did Rin disobey him? Why did she not keep away from Koimiomaru and stay safe in the village. _Why_?

"L-Lord Sesshomaru, I..." Rin had no explanation for her actions. Her eyes were kept solemnly on Sesshomaru and just by looking at his magnificent figure standing a few feet away from her, she felt immensely guilty. That's right, she _had_ disobeyed his orders and gone away from the village, away from safety. She had gone in a pursuit of Koimiomaru which was exactly what she ought not to have done.

"Hmm? A demon?" Koimiomaru echoed in the distance. Sesshomaru's eyes glanced coldly over in his direction. "Your demonic aura is strong," Koimiomaru observed. "What business do you have here?"

Sesshomaru stepped forward, putting himself directly inbetween Rin and Koimiomaru. "Why do you seem, repulsed by me?" he asked, noting that Koimiomaru was definitely glaring at him. Rin was shocked to find such a horrid look on the face of one whom she'd thought so peaceful. Why was he reacting so differently to Sesshomaru than to any other demon, such as the Snow Leopard Demon. Why did he seem to hate Sesshomaru.

"You are a dog demon, correct? The first son of the Great Dog General of the West, Inu no Taisho."

Sesshomaru stiffened. "What do you know of my father?"

Koimiomaru's glare intensified and suddenly Rin noticed an ominous aura arising from around him as well. It was an aura that almost competed with the aura of Sesshomaru himself!

"Your father...he cursed me..." Koimiomaru snarled.

Rin stepped back, suddenly afraid. Koimiomaru's face...his entire being changed entirely! His eyes were now a fearsome black and likewise his hair had turned black. His face now looked angry and evil and even the meadow changed from being a peaceful, snow-less meadow, to a meadow made of nothing but ashes. What was the cause for that sudden change though? In any case, Koimiomaru was a different person altogether. He lost all of the resemblance of his former self. Rin didn't recognize him. It was almost as if he wasn't even Koimiomaru but someone evil.

"I see. Is that why you detest demons?"

Koimiomaru reacted to Sesshomaru's very voice with an angry snarl. He lifted up his hand, and Rin gasped, afraid that he would attack Sesshomaru. She reached for her bow and found that it had somehow been put back together. The moment she touched it, it was no longer broken...

Instead though, Koimiomaru only tore off the top of his kimono. Rin's eyes immediately caught on to a black mark on Koimiomaru's chest that glowed purple. It was in the shape of...a flower?

Koimiomaru looked over to Rin and almost immediately his eyes shifted colour and once again he changed. His eyes were back to normal, as was his hair. Only the meadow regained it's true form, surrounding my trees and snow. Rin wasn't sure if it was his gaze upon her that had brought him back, or if he merely managed to bring himself back.

"As you can see, my demonic powers are also great," Koimiomaru said. He lifted a hand to his chest and Rin saw that the curse mark from before was gone. "However the curse still remains. It is the only thing that keeps me from being free."

Sesshomaru didn't look it, but he was unsure of what Koimiomaru was talking about. "Free? What do you wish to be free from?"

Koimiomaru looked over to him calmly, but in the depths of his eyes, something ferocious lurked.

"I was born an evil demon," he said. "What you have just witnessed is my true self. Long ago I managed to extract all traces of my natural born self and became what you see me as now, a pure demon who is pure enough to be free of any demonic aura and resemble a human."

"And yet you still retain your demonic powers from before," Sesshomaru observed. "Why should you want to be as a human?"

"Humans are pure," Koimiomaru stated. "They are not born evil as demons are. Humans can become evil, but they were born good and can easily be restored to goodness. Demons however can never be restored to goodness. I once thought that even I, as a demon could be. However I was proven wrong by your father. He sensed my demonic powers, despite the fact that I'd subdued them. In order to keep me away from all humans, he had a curse placed on me; a curse that revived my demonic self should I ever come close to humans. That was his way of protecting them."

"I see," Sesshomaru said. "So father did that for the sake of protecting humans did he? Huh, I might've guessed."

Koimiomaru continued glaring. "Your father is dead, but now you continue to linger in this world, retaining his demonic aura. All demons disgust me, as all they do is take possessions of humans. More humans have died from being eaten by demons than they have even in the wars. I intend to put an end to all demons and..." At this he looked at Rin. "I shall get a powerful priestess skilled in the art of purity to assist me."

"I've heard enough," Sesshomaru snarled. He unsheathed his Bakusaiga and prepared to strike Koimiomaru down, only Koimiomaru at that point decided to take his leave. He created a thick mist and then used it to escape. His eyes never left Rin though.

"He's gone," the Samurai exclaimed once his master had vanished. He could not quite believe what he'd just witnessed.

Rin looked only towards Sesshomaru, who in turn looked only back at her. Sesshomaru put his sword back in it's sheath and began to walk away.

"Wait Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin yelled, running after him upon seeing that he had no intention to call her.

Sesshomaru did stop once they were away from Saya and the Samurai in the forest and turned to face her.

"Rin, why?" he asked. "_Why_?!"

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**The next chapter will prove to be interesting and I hope you've enjoyed this one as well!**

**Please tell me what you think! :3**


	14. I Want To Be With You

Rin did not know how to answer him. What could she say? She had for the first time in her life gone against Sesshomaru's wishes and she never felt more ashamed. Tears threatened to pour out of her eyes, but she held them back.

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru's mind was busy trying to contemplate what had happened. Why would Rin go after him, even after he'd told her that Koimiomaru was a demon? He'd ordered her to stay out of it, to stay safe, and she deliberately disobeyed him. He knew well enough that the Samurai and Saya hadn't forced Rin to go. She'd gone of her own free will.

_Where have I gone wrong_? Sesshomaru thought, simply looking at Rin as she struggled to explain herself. _Was it a mistake to leave Rin in the village? I might've known she would be trained to become a priestess, yet why has she become disobedient? Is is old Kaede's doing, or has Rin grown this way herself? She is not the same, and perhaps never can be._

All of these thoughts bothered Sesshomaru, but what bothered him most was that those thoughts _did bother him_. Why did he care so much anyway? Why did any of these things affect him at all? Were it any other human or demon, even Jaken his most trusted vessel, it wouldn't have effected him as much. Was it the fact that he'd grown so used to Rin's undying loyalty that he felt this way? Why, _why was it_?

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin said, causing Sesshomaru to break his train of thought. "I want to become stronger."

This was something that not even Sesshomaru would have expected to hear. He sensed that Rin had more to say, only she was waiting for his reaction. He gave none.

"And?"

Rin clenched her fists tightly. "Lord Sesshomaru, I know that you are building your empire now and the best thing for me to do would have been to stay in the village and wait for you there, but I can't. I can't just stand by and wait for you any longer. So I've made up my mind to become stronger in order to reach you."

"Reach me?" Sesshomaru was curious to hear more.

Rin nodded. "Yes my lord. When you left me in the village all those years ago, I knew that it was all for the best, but even then my heart ached to travel with you. I would have asked to stay with you and made my decision even a year after you'd left me there, only by then you'd already started work on your empire. Master Jaken told me, and I knew that I had no right to interfere. I am but a human after all, and humans have no place in a demon's world, do they?"

Sesshomaru understood all that she had said, and he was surprised. _Sesshomaru was surprised_. He had never known that Rin could feel that way; never in his wildest imagination had he thought that. He had always thought that she would choose to live in the village and if that was her desire, he would let her be. Why..._how_ could Rin choose otherwise?

Rin continued upon seeing that Sesshomaru had no intention to answer. "So you reach you, I could only become stronger. I don't know if you could accept me even then, but I had to try. I had to try and become stronger to make a place for myself in your world. To be of use to you!"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened.

Rin stared down at the ground. "You've down everything for me and yet I still don't want to leave you. I-I want to stay with you forever Lord Sesshomaru!"

Now Rin was crying, her tears falling from her eyes and only to ground. Sesshomaru could only stand and look at her. Why...why did Rin feel that way? Had he left something undone? What had happened that he was unaware of?

When he met Rin, he thought of her as no more than a foolish human girl who dared to offer her kindness to a demon. Upon seeing bruises on her face, he had grown curious about her and how she still offered help when she herself seemed to need it. Seeing her smile had awoken a hint of kindness in Sesshomaru and from then on it proceeded to grow bit by bit, yet seemingly mostly towards Rin.

Tenseiga had compelled him to save Rin that day and from then on he felt the need to continue protecting her. When she had been lost to him a second time, he had indeed felt sad, only he was incapable of showing tears due to his pride. His pride stopped him from doing foolish things, but it had never stopped him from protecting Rin. Why was that?

Rin expected Sesshomaru to maybe leave her to herself without a word as he often did, only this time Sesshomaru walked forward until he was standing a mere step away from Rin.

"Will going after him really make you stronger?" he asked. "Is that what you wish, Rin? To stand beside me, you say? Then why pursue a demon who poses as a threat to me?"

Rin looked up and gasped. "Lord...Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru looked up. "He claims to have purifying powers and this is dangerous for any strong demon, including myself. I will of course defeat him, only it may come at the risk of being purified. Do you wish to help him eliminate all demons, including myself?"

He looked at Rin as he said this last part. Rin stopped crying and simply looked up at him. Sesshomaru was looking right at her, as if trying to decipher her answer. Rin's eyes gave nothing away though. Although she felt as guilty as ever, she also felt quite happy as this was the first time that Sesshomaru confided in her so. He was not afraid of Koimiomaru in the slightest, only Rin suspected that he wouldn't tell just anyone about what was dangerous to him.

"Never my lord. I have no wish to eliminate any demons."

"Then _why_?" Sesshomaru asked, showing his confusion for the first time. He was confused and rapidly growing annoyed. Sesshomaru being annoyed or displaying any negative emotion was never a good thing.

Rin looked down. "My lord, there never will be a place for me, will there?"

Sesshomaru looked down at her once more.

"I have no place in your world and I understand that," Rin said. "But I can't just sit back and wait. I'll do whatever it takes to be able to stand by you."

After that, Sesshomaru said no more and he simply left her. What could he say? How could he reply to her desires? Before, when he had just been travelling to get stronger and build his empire, Rin had always had a place. But as soon as he'd wielded Bakusaiga and started building his empire, that place slowly faded until it no longer existed.

_Rin, how can I answer_? Sesshomaru wondered as he flew off back to his palace. He had said all he needed to say though, and he'd warned her about getting too close to Koimiomaru. Was Rin still going to do it though?

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**A shorter chapter compared to the earlier few I've released, but don't worry! I'll be releasing longer ones here and there as well! I hope you enjoyed!**

**Please tell me what you think! :3**


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